lough, Mallary, Marchand, Mowell, R. Moore, S. Moore, Morton, Moseley. Murray, Nelson of Mass. Parker, of Mass. Patterson Philson, Pitcher, Plug, Randolph, Rich, Richards, Richmond, Rogers, Ross, Russ Sergeant, Silsbee, Stevens, Storrs, Street, Strong, of Vt. Stng, of N. Y. Tarr, Tomlinson, Tompkins, Tra cy, Udree, Upham, Van Renselaer, Wallace, Whitman, Wood.-88 So the amendment was rejected. The motion was agreed to without a division, though not without dissenting voices. The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the appropriation bills. On opening the first item, the Missouri question was discovered lurking in it! Another amendment, offered by Mr. Storrs, as well as one by Mr. S. Moore, having failed-Mr. Mr. Smith, of Md. having moved to fill the first Clay then said, seeing that all effort at amendment blank in the bill with 314,866 dollars, to defray the has failed, and anxious to make a last effort to settle expense of compensation to the senate and house this distracting question, moved to refer the se- of representatives, their officers and attendants, nate's resolution to a committee of thirteen mem-ler sum, presuming that the sum moved by Mr. Mr. Cobb moved to fill the blank with a smal bers. This motion was agreed to, and the following gentlemen were appointed a committee accord. ingly: Messrs. Clay, of Ky. Eustis, of Mass. Smith, of Md. Sergeant, of Pa. Lowndes, of S. C. Ford, of N. Y. Campbell, of Ohio, Archer, of Va. Hackley, of N. Y. S. Moore, of Pa. Cobb, of Geo. Tomlinson, of Con. Butler, of N. H. Smith was founded on estimates including the delegate from Missouri. As there was no such dele. gate recognized on the floor of the house, the appropriation ought to be diminished accordingly. Much desultory debate followed-but at length the great difficulty was got over, and the bill pro Monday, Feb. 5. A bill making certain appro The following gentlemen compose the commit-priations for the public buildings, was, after some tee appointed to enquire into the expediency of objections, ordered to a third reading. abolishing imprisonment for debt on process issued from the courts of the United States: Messrs. Nelson, of Va. Hemphill, Storrs, Ross, Edwards, of Con. Saturday, Feb. 3. Mr. Sergeant made the follow. ing report: The committee on the judiciary, to whom was referred the report of the committee for the District of Columbia, upon the subject of lotteries, make the following report: That they concur in the opinion expressed by the committee for the District of Columbia, that it is not necessary or expedient for congress now to interfere:-They therefore offer the following resolution: Resolved, That the committee be discharged from the further consideration of the subject. The report was concurred in by the house. Mr. Ross, after some remarks in favor of the propriety of the course which he was about to propose, founded on the importance of the subject to the particular state and to the union-moved that the communication from the governor of Ohio, received a few days ago, and the report of a committee of the legislature relative to the controversy between that state and the bank of the United States, be printed for the use of the members of this house. After some opposition, the motion was agreed to ¿―ayes 63, noes 37.. ceeded with! The house then again resolved itself into a com. mittee of the whole, Mr. Foot in the chair, on the general appropriation bill for the current year. The discussion of the bill; or rather of particular items of it, occupied the whole day: Various propositions for amendment were negaa tived, except one, of not much importance On motion of Mr. Silsbee, aided by Mr. Lincoln, the house agreed to increase the appropriation for the contingent expenses of congress one thousand dollars, for the purpose of erecting a monument over the grave of the late vice-president Gerry, whe died and was buried in Washington city, during his term of service. At a late hour, the committee rose and obtained leave to sit again, on motion of Mr. Clay, who was prepared to move an amendment, respecting a mis sion to South America, but thought the hour too late, and the house too thin. And the house adjourned. Tuesday, Feb. 6. Mr. Smith, of Md. from the committee of ways and means, made a report on the state of the revenue, present and prospective, &c. which was ordered to lie on the table. [See p. 391.] Mr. Culbreth, from a select committee, reported the following bill: Be it enacted, &c. That, in lieu of the salaries now allowed by law to the following officers, and other persons, employed in the civil department of the government, there shall be paid to them, quarterly, the following annual salaries, respectively, and ne more: that is to say, to the Secretary of State, five thousand dol lars; to the Secretary of the Treasury, five thousand dollars; te the Secretary of War, five thousand dollars; to the Secretary of the Navy, five thousand dollars; to the Attorney General, three hundred dollars; to the Assistant Postmaster General, and addithousand dollars; to the Postmaster General, three thousand five tional Assistant Postmaster General, each two thousand dollars to the Commissioners of the Navy Board, cách three thousand dol lars; to the Naval Constructors, each two thousand dollars; to the First Comptroller of the Treasury, three thousand dollars; to the Librarian, one thousand dollars; to the Commissioner of the pubtendant of the patent office, one thousand dollars; to the Clerk of lie buildings, one thousand five hundred dollars; to the Superin the Attorney General, five hundred dollars; to the Clerk of the Commissioner of the public buildings, five hundred dollars; and to the Clerk of the Superintendant of the patent office, five hun dred dollars. Mr. Clay rose to make a motion. It would be recollected, he said, by the house, that, by a majority very decisive, a resolution was adopted at the last session, declaring it expedient to make an appropriation, by law, for a mission to such of the governments of South America as had established their independence. It remained for the house to carry that resolution into effect; and he thought that it was a solemn duty of this house to give com plete effect to its own decision. He rose, therefore, to move that the resolution adopted at the Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the salaries of each of last session be referred to the same committee of the officers and clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the whole house, to which was referred the bill ployed in any of the public offices, at the seat of government, not and of each and every other officer, clerk, or other person, emmaking appropriations for the support of governherein particularly designated, shall be reduced twenty per centment, that it might come up for consideration, in a regular manner, and a clause be inserted in that bill to accomplish the object of the resolution. Mr. C. made this motion to prevent the imputation of taking the house by surprise. Conceiving it proper to act in the spirit of that resolution, he now proposed the preliminary step. um from the respective amounts now allowed by law. United States. neys at the several Land Offices, two thousand five hundred dol lars; the several surplusses shall be accounted for, and paid by them, respectively, to the treasury of the United States. Provided ways, that nothing herrin contained shall be construed to extend to fines, forfeitures, and penalties, under the revenue laws of the and naval storekeepers shall be limited not to exceed six hundred Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the salaries of military Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the operation of this act shall commence and take effect from and after the fourth day of March next, and that so much of any and every act, heretofore passed upon the subject, as is inconsistent with, or repugnant to the provisions bere in contained, be, and the same is hereby repeal dollars each. ed, from and after that date. The bill was twice read and committed. After other buisness, not of present interestThe house then again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, and resumed the consideration of the general appropriation bill. Mr. Clay moved the amendment, which he a few days ago intimated it to be his intention to propose to the bill, and was as follows: For an outfit and one year's salary to such minis ter as the president, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, may send to any govern ment of South-America, which has established and is maintaining its independency on Spain, a sum not exceeding 18,000 dollars. Various proceedings, wat of a definite character, were had it was laid over for the purpose of allowing Mr. Clay an opportunity of being present, he being engaged on the committee on the Missou claims which were variously disposed of, &, which ri subject; and the house took up several private shall be noticed in their progress, as necessary. In the course of the day, Mr. Barbour rave notice that he should on to-morrow move to g into a cominitee of the whole on the subjects relativ to the navy. Mr. Baldwin gave notice that he should on Monday next, move to go into a committee of the whole on the tariff and auction duties' bills, THURSDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. In the senate. The day was spent in considering the bankrupt bill. Mr. Mills, of Mass. supported, and Mr. Holmes, of Maine, opposed it-in long speeches. In the house of representatives. After other buziness, not necessary to notice at present, the house resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the report of the naval committee, which concludes with the following resolution: "Resolved, That a naval peace establishment ought to be fixed by law." Messrs. Clay, Floyd, Trimble, Stevens, Culpepper, The following amendment was agreed to on the and Mr. Clay, in a second speech, supported the remotion of Mr. Lowndes,-"provided that the numsolution-which was opposed by Messrs. Lowndes, Robertson and Rhea, on various grounds. After which, the question was taken on adopting the proposed amendment, and it was negatived-for it 73, against it 77. The committee rose and reported the bill to the house, &c. Wednesday, Feb. 7. Mr. William S. Blackledge, a member from North Carolina, in the place of the late Mr. Slocumb, appeared to-day, was qualified and took his seat. Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, from the com. mittee of claims, made unfavorable reports on the petitions of Andrew Bartle, John Barnard, and Samuel Washburn; and the same were respectfully agreed to. Mr. Cocke, from the military committee report. ed a bill to give salaries to the officers of the army, in lieu of their present pay and emoluments; as follows: Brigadier gen. 3000 dollars; paymaster gen. 2400; adj. and insp. generals 2000; assistants do. 1600; quartermaster gen. 3000; deputy do. 1600; judge advocate, com. gen. of subsistence, and com. gen. of purchases, 2000 each; assistant com. gen. of purchases 1000; a colonel 1800; lieut. col. 1600; a major 1500; a captain 950; 1st lieut. 800; 2nd do. 750; 3d do. 750. When subalterns are employed in the staff, they are to receive 180 additional. Surgeon gen. 2000; apothecary gen. 1500; reg. surgeon 1200; assistant do. 900. Pro fessors in the military academy 1000; assistants and teachers 700; master of the sword 500; a cadet 144, and two rations per day: Military store-keepers 750, 12 1-2 cents per mile for travelling in Hen of transportation-and when an officer chooses to draw ra tions or forage in kind, there shall be deducted for the same, from his compensation, a sum equal to the contract price of such ration or forage. The bill was twice read and committed. The speaker laid before the house a report of the commissioners of the sinking fund, detailing their operations subsequent to their report dated the 5th of February last; which was read and ordered to lie on the table.. The house proceeded to a consideration of the general appropriation bill, and the amendments made thereto by the committee of the wholethe motion being still pending, which was made by Mr. Culbreth on yesterday, to lay the bill on the table, with the view of taking up the bill to reduce the salaries in the civil departments of the govern ment. ber of commissioned officers to be authorised shall not be less than that of those who are now commissioned in the naval service." Further amendments were proposed, but nothing acted upon decisively. WASHINGTON. CHRONICLE. Canova's statue of the father of his country, is said to be nearly finished, and to be "one of the finest productions of the immortal sculptor." Maine. John Holmes has been re-elected a senator of the United States from this state, for six years from the fourth of March next. There were several candidates; but, at the first ballot, he had 28 of a majority of the whole number of votes, and was chosen. Illinois, A party of men, women, and children, in all ninety persons, from the kingdom of Hanover, under the care and patronage of Ferdinand Ernst, have recently arrived at Vandalia, the new seat of the government of Illinois, as settlers. They are mechanics and farmers and valuable to the state. Columbus, O. Jan. 13. The bill concerning the tax collected from the bank of the United States, passed through a committee of the whole, this evening, by large majorities; and was finally ordered to be engrossed for a third reading-48 votes to 12. This bill, after reciting in the preamble, the collection of the tax of $100,000 on the offices of discount and deposit of the bank of the United States in Chillicothe and Cincinnati, in September, 1819, and stating that a tax of four per cent. upon the dividend of that institution, would be more equitable; provides that the sum of $90,000 of the tax so as aforesaid collected shall be refunded; and that instead of the former tax, a tax of $2500 only shall be annually collected from said bank. It also provides that any person hindering or molesting the auditor, or any person he may appoint for that purpose, whilst collecting the tax aforesaid, shalt be imprisoned not exceeding six months, and fined in any sum not exceeding $500, at the discretion of the court of the county in which the offence may have been committed. PPRINTED BY WILLIAM OGDEK NILES, AT THE FRANKLIN PRESS, WATER-STBKET, EAST OF SOUTH-STERET. NEW SERIES. NO. 25-VoL. VII.] BALTIMORE, FEB. 17, 1821. [No. 25-VoL. XIX. WHOLE NO. 493 THE PAST THE PRESENT-FOR THE FUTURE. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY H. XILES, AT §5 PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. CONGRESS. The proceedings of congress occupy If the matter is not arranged, it may be expect Navy of the United States. a large space in the present sheet, to the exelusioned that it will soon be settled, as Mr. Hyde de Neuof some other things that we had laid off to publish. ville has arrived. The history of the last week's business, though nothing of any great moment has been determined, BANK OF THE UNITED STATES. The legislature of will be read with much interest, and become im-Ohio has passed an act to withdraw from this bank portant for reference bereafter. the aid and protection of the laws of the state. That The report of the committee of thirteen of the is, the bank is out-lawed. We shall publish the act house of representatives, on the Missouri subject, which, we suppose, will place the bank in a siniwill claim much attention. Accustomed to deliver gular predicament; so much so, that even if a permy own sentiments freely, I as freely give the like son were to enter and carry off the cash from its liberty to others; and find fault with no man for his counter, that he cannot be arrested or punished for opinion, if bottomed on the convictions of his own it! mind, though I may disapprove of them. When I first read the report, I thought it would be adopted. It was not exactly what I myself would have wished, but it came as nearly to it, perhaps, as the present state of feeling in congress would admit of, through the great exertions of Mr. Clay and others. This is an affair in which I have not pleased either party-but my own conscience is satisfied with the ground I have taken, and both will attribute to me, I hope, honest error-error on the side of good fellowship and brotherly union. The resolves accompanying this report have been rejected, and the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JAN. 29, 1821. after proceedings are stated with sufficient clear. The committee on naval affairs, to whom was reness. We do not wish to enlarge-but it may safe-ferred a resolution of the house of representatives ly be said, that the situation of congress, and of the of the 11th January, 1821, instructing them "to United States, was never more unpleasant than it inquire into the expediency of limiting by law the is now. An excitement prevails such as has never number of seamen, ordinary seamen, and boys, ta -been witnessed in the house of representatives. It be annually employed in the service of the United is a blessing that the people do not feel it.-Wednes- States; and, also, into the expediency of reducing day's proceedings do no credit to the parties con- the number now in actual service," report:cerned; and if all was reported that happened, we That, by an act of congress, approved the 3d of question if the things that lately occurred on the March, 1801, a naval peace establishment was fixed prorogation of the British parliament, were much | by law, providing the number of ships which shoukt less dignified. Two resolutions have been since be kept in constant service, in time of peace, and introduced, one in each house, to get rid of this that the residue should be laid up in ordinary, "distracting question." Report of the naval committee, to whom was referred a resolution of the house of representatives of the 11th Jan. inst. to inquire into the expediency of limiting by law the number of seamen, ordinary seamen, and boys, to be annually employed in the ser vice of the United States; and, also, into the expediency of reducing the number now in actual service. with a sailing master, certain petty officers, seamen, and marines, attached to each vessel thus BANKRUPT HILL. As it appears possible that the man the vessels to be retained in actual service, as laid up; authorizing the president to officer and bill reported to the senate by Mr. Van Dyke, to es- he might direct, limiting him, however, to twotablish an uniform system of bankruptcy, may be thirds of the then present complement of seamen passed into a law, we insert a brief sketch of its and ordinary seamen, (by which the committee contents. It is a matter of great interest to many understand the two-thirds of the then full crews of thousands of our fellow citizens, creditors as well the ships retained), limiting the number of cap as debtors; and will supercede the state insolvent tains, lieutenants, and midshipmen, to be retained laws in many cases, by which latter a fraudulent in the navy service in time of peace, and authoriz person may elect his own time and way, to deprive ing the president to discharge all the other officers honest men of their just dues. in the navy service of the United States. That, by another act of congress, approved April 21st THE FLORIDA TREATY, it is now officially said by 1806, the president was authorized to keep in acthe Spanish minister, has been received at Wash. tual service, in time of peace, as many of the friington. It was understood that it would be imme.gates and other armed vessels of the United States, diately laid before the senate, as it probably was as, in his judgment, the nature of the service might on Wednesday last. But in all "executive busi- require and to cause the residue to be laid up in ness," it is the practice of the senate to sit with clos-ordmary in convenient ports; and the president cd doors. was authorized to officer and man the public armed vessels in actual service in time of peace as he might direct; but the act just referred to, limited the number of captains, masters commandant, lieutenants, and midshipmen; it limited, too, the num ber of able seamen, ordinary seamen, and boys, to nine hundred and twenty five, and authorized the president to appoint, for the vessels in actital service, as many officers of the grades therein men 7 Your committee understand the resolution referred to them to relate to the number of seamen tioned as might, in his opinion, be necessary and some of the acts of congress themselves, that the proper; that, by another act, approved March 34, subsequent provisions, in relation to the naval es1807, the president was authorized, in addition to tablishment of the United States, had reference dithe then present naval peace establishment to em-rectly to what either then was or probably 80013 ploy a number of able seamen, ordinary seamen, would be, the relation of the country to foreign goand boys, not exceeding five hundred, should the vernments; in short, that they looked directly to a exigency of the public service require it; that, by state either of actual or probable war. another act, approved January 31st, 1809, it was provided that, in addition to the frigates then em ployed in actual service, there should be fitted out, and boys necessary to be employed in time of officered, and manned, four other frigates by name; peace, and whether that shall be fixed by law. In and that the president might equip, man, and em- the present state of things the only limitation upon ploy, in actual service, as many of the public arm- the number of seamen is to be found in the approed vessels, then laid up in ordinary, and gun-boats,priation bill, which, in effect, annually limits the as, in his judgment, the public service might re-number to be employed by the amount of the approquire; and, for the purpose of carrying the provi-priation annually made for that object. Your comsions of the said act into effect, the president was mittee believe, that the proper office of the appro authorized, in addition to the number of petty offi-priation bill is, as far as practicable, to provide cers, able seamen, ordinary seamen, and boys, then ineans for objects anthorized by existing laws; authorized by law, to appoint, and cause to be em-there are indeed, cases which, on account of the ployed, three hundred midshipmen, three thousand contingent or uncertain character of the expendi six hundred able seamen, ordinary scamen, and ture, constitute exceptions to this rule; but, in ge boys, to be engaged to serve for a period not ex-neral, the rule is considered as a sound one. Your committee would further remark, that, in ceeding two years, but subject to be sooner discharged. That, by another act, passed June 28th, investigating this subject, they have extended their 1809, the president was authorized, in the event enquiries beyond the mere scope of the resolution, of a favorable change in the foreign relations of into the propriety of fixing a naval peace estabthe country, to cause to be discharged from actual lishment, embracing as well the number of officers service, and laid up in ordinary, such of the frigates as ships to be kept in the service of the United and public armed vessels, as, in his judgment, a States in time of peace; and they beg leave shortly due regard to the public security and interest to submit some of their reasons for thinking that would permit. That, by another act of congress, there should be a peace establishment in the navy passed March 30th, 1812, the president was autho- as well as the army. Although, by the constitu. rized to cause to be immediately repaired, equip-tion of the United States, the president is com'ped, and put into actual service, three frigates by mander in chief of the army and navy, yet it be name; and it was provided, that the officers and longs to congress to raise and support" the one, seamen of the navy might be increased so far as and to provide and maintain" the other; the power was necessary to officer, man, and equip, the ves-to provide and maintain implies that of determinsels so to be put into service. That by anothering the quantum; a question the decision of which act of congress, passed January 2, 1813, it was pro- ought not to be left, in the opinion of your comvided, that the president should cause to be built,mittee, to the executive department, and yet, in equipped, and employed, four ships, to rate not practice, it is in effect left to executive decision; less than seventy-four guns, and six to rate forty-for, as has been before remarked, there being no four guns each; and the number of commissioned permanent law in force limiting the number of of. and warrant officers, petty officers, able seamen, ficers, ships, or men, to be kept in service, the ordinary seamen, and boys, to be employed on only limitation is in the amount of appropriation; board each of the said ships of seventy-four guns, and your committee believe that, in practice, the was fixed by the act; the crew, so far as it consisted amount of the estimates has generally been appro of seamen and boys, was limited to two hundredpriated without any discussion in congress as to able seamen, and three hundred ordinary seamen and boys. That, by another act, passed March 3d, 1813, the president was authorized to have built, manned, equipt, and commissioned, for service, six sloops of war, and, also, to have built or procured, Your committee believe that in Great Britain, as many sloops, to be employed on the lakes, as the public service might require, and, by the se. though the number of seamen is not fixed by a percond section of the last mentioned act, the presi-manent law, yet is settled by the annual vote of dent was authorized to appoint such officers, and to employ such number of seamen, as might be necessary for such vessels as were authorized by law to be put in commission, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. the necessity of them Whatever confidence we may have in the executive, it seems not to be right, in principle, to leave to its discretion in effect, the decision of a question which belongs to the le gislature. parliament. If there were probable danger of war or difficulty in our foreign relations, it might not be expedient to fix the number of seamen by a permanent law, but, in the present circumstances of the country, it seems to your committee it may be The committee have thought it proper to give done. It will be remembered, it is a peace estato the house a brief view of the progress of legisla-blishment which is contemplated; when war shall tion in relation to this subject, and they believe the foregoing sketch substantially to present it. Upon a reference to the various acts of congress before referred to, it will be found that, both in Your committee would further remark, that an the years 1801 and 1806, there was a naval peace establishment fixed by law, limiting not only the additional reason with them for inclining to a peace I number of seamen and boys, but of officers also. establishment is, to fix the number of officers who, It will be found, too, as your committee believe, they believe, in many grades, are too numerous, by reference, to dates compared with the history and yet for all, whom, unless their number shall of the country, and indeed to the language of be reduced by law, an appropriation must be made. come, or even upon its probable approach, both the army and navy will doubtless be placed upon a footing suited to the then altered state of the country. considerable degree. The committee forbear to go into further detail upon this subject, because, if the house should adopt the principle, the detail could be presented in a bill. Your committee are aware that this is a dif ficult and delicate subject; the officers of the navy in the recent war, not only distinguished them selves, but, by breaking the charm of invincibility belonging to the British navy, contributed much As to the seamen, if it should be decided to fix both to our glory and our solid strength as a nation. the number by law, the resolution then directs the The committee are also aware, that many of them the committee to enquire into the expediency of have devoted some of their best years to their pro- reducing the number now in actual service. Upon fession; yet, if the interest of the country requires this subject the committee would remark, that it a reduction, painful as the duty is, it is one which will be seen, by adverting to a letter from the navy ought to be performed. In relation to the number department, under date of the 11th December, of ships to be retained in service, the reasons 1820, amongst the printed documents, that the which would prove the propriety of fixing the whole force of the vessels of war in the actual sernumber of seamen, would apply with full force to vice of the United States, amounts to about three them; indeed, it is another state of the same ques- hundred and thitry-five guns, distributed as is mention, in substance, since, if the number of sexmentioned in the same letter: your committee incline be fixed, no more vessels will be employed than to the opinion, that the following diminution of that they can man; and the fixing a certain maximum of seamen is considered a more judicious course than to fix the number of ships, inasmuch as the president will then be left at liberty to use such classes of vessels as may, in his opinion, be best adapted to the nature of the service; the aggregate of the guns, however, being limited by the number of men allowed to man them. Your committee haye said, that they consider the officers of many of the grades as too numerous: they will now proceed to state the grounds of their opinion. They have not for a moment entertained the idea of paring down the officers of the navy to any thing like a mere sufficiency to officer the ships to be actually retained in service in time of peace; it is obviously impossible, upon this subject, to select any given number, and shew that it is precisely the right one; some reasonable rule must be adopted. force may be made without injury to the public service, viz: instead of two corvettes and a sloop on the coast of Africa, whose object is the sup pression of piracy and the slave trade, three of the schooners authorized by an act of the last session would be sufficient, making a deduction of 34 guns; instead of a 36 gun frigate in the Indian seas, the corvette Cyane of 28 would be sufficient, making a deduction of eight; if to these deductions be added the force of the Macedonian and Ontario, of which the one is returning after being replaced by the Constellation, and the other is proceeding to take the place of the Peacock, amounting together to 54 guns, the whole force which would remain after these deductions from that now in service, would be 239 guns; but suppose an additional num. ber of 36 guns to be included for any contingent service, such, for example, as the replacing of a vessel returning from a cruise, then the whole force Your committee have acted upon the principle which, according to the views before presented, that, whilst, on the one hand, the mere number of would be necessary, would be 275 guns: to man officers necessary for the vessels in actual service, this force, upon a war establishment, if the commitis not sufficient with a view to the future progress tee have not erred in calculation, would require and prosperity of the navy; on the other, it would 856 able seamen, 802 ordinary seamen, and 195 be entirely out of the question to employ, in time of boys; to this add, according to a document of the peace, as many as would officer our whole navy, last session, for the ships in ordinary, navy yards, built and to be built, in time of war. They have, and navy stations, 287 able seamen, 314 ordinary therefore, selected what they consider a medium seamen, and 67 boys; and the aggregate is, of able between these extremes; it appears, by the Naval seamen 1,143, of ordinary seamen 1,116, and of Register of 1821, that the total number of guns of boys 262; total of able seamen, ordinary seamen, our ships, which are built, equipped and launched, and boys, 2,521. The estimate from the navy de. (which description excludes the three line of bat-partment for the service of the year 1821, embraces tle ships Ohio, North Carolina, and Delaware, which 1,332 able seamen, 1,307 ordinary seamen, and 293 are believed not to be equipped,) amounts to seven boys; making an aggregate of 2,932; from which hundred and ninety-seven, of all classes of vessels, it would seem that if the force suggested by the gun-boats included. committee, be retained in service, there might be a reduction of about 411, viz: 187 able seamen, 191 ordinary seamen, and 31 boys. Upon the whole view of the subject, the committee beg leave to recommend to the house the following resolution: Resolved, That a naval peace establishment ought to be fixed by law. Bankrupt Law. Your committee have thought that if we retained in service in time of peace, a sufficient number of commissioned and warrant officers to officer all "those upon the war establishment, it would afford a liberal peace establishment: bringing the number of officers to this standard, the committee find that there are various ranks in which the present number considerably exceeds that which would be required by the rule just stated: they will descend to particulars in a few grades, in which the excess is relatively most considerable; thus, upon this The following bill, introduced into the senate of scale, there is an excess of fifteen post captains; of the United States, by Mr. VAN DYKE, has been sent twenty masters commandant; of seventy lieuten- to us by our attentive correspondent at Washing. ants; of twenty-seven surgeons; of more than forty ton. It consists of sixty-four sections, and is of sailing masters There are, perhaps, two or three great importance to the community: we publish grades in which an allowance of a few more than the following summary of it, which contains all its even this scale would produce, might be judicious; provisions. Although abbreviated, the substance amongst them, probably, might be placed the mid-is retained, nothing being left out but the mere shipmen, who may be considered as constituting formal parts.-Philad, Frank. Gaz. the nursery of the future commanders of our ships; this, however, would only vary the result in an in IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, January 2, 1821. |